Emily Abel

Dr. Emily Abel is an Assistant Professor in Human Development & Family Science at Oklahoma State University's College of Education and Human Sciences. She completed her PhD in Human Development and Family Science from Purdue University in 2022 and joined Oklahoma State University in 2023. Her academic journey includes extensive training in pediatric sleep health, developmental assessment, and developmental disabilities.

Dr. Abel's research focuses on measuring, understanding, and promoting sleep health for autistic children and their families. She specializes in increasing accessibility in sleep research using tele-health approaches to sleep measurement (non-invasive, remote monitoring). Her work aims to improve equity in recruitment strategies and develop opportunities for children and caregivers to determine what improvement in sleep and quality of life looks like for them. She leads the Researching Equitable Sleep Together (REST) Lab, where she and her team investigate the complex relationship between sleep, development, and autism spectrum disorder.

Analysis of Dr. Abel's publication record shows a strong focus on sleep health in autistic children, with particular emphasis on measurement techniques, intervention approaches, and the relationship between sleep problems and daytime functioning. Her work spans multiple disciplines including sleep medicine, autism research, developmental psychology, and health disparities. Recent publications highlight her commitment to improving methodological approaches in sleep research and addressing diversity gaps in pediatric sleep intervention studies.

Dr. Abel currently holds two active research grants: 'Incorporating Caregiver Concerns into Measures of Sleep Disturbance in Autistic Individuals' funded by the Autism Science Foundation and 'Centering Autistic Children and their Family in the Sleep Health Journey: Building an Inclusive Research Approach' funded by the College of Education and Human Sciences.

She teaches courses including HLTH 2213 - Introduction to Public Health and HLTH 4233 - Health and Sexuality, and previously taught courses on developmental disabilities, infant and child development, and research practicum. Dr. Abel is accepting undergraduate research assistants for Spring 2026 and graduate students for Fall 2026 in the Community Health Sciences PhD program.